Mouthguard for analysis of biomarkers for traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACT

Embodiments include methods, systems and computer program products for monitoring a user of a helmet for traumatic brain injury. Aspects include obtaining a saliva specimen from a mouthguard and providing the saliva specimen to a lab on chip. Aspects further include determining whether the saliva specimen contains a biomarker that indicates the user suffered a traumatic brain injury and creating an alert that the user of the helmet has suffered a traumatic brain injury.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to: U.S. application Ser. No. 14/709,575;Filed: May 12, 2015; U.S. application Ser. No. 14/709,574; Filed: May12, 2015; U.S. application Ser. No. 14/709,572; Filed: May 12, 2015;U.S. application Ser. No. 14/709,563; Filed: May 12, 2015; U.S.application Ser. No. 14/709,568; Filed: May 12, 2015; U.S. applicationSer. No. 14/709,564; Filed: May 12, 2015; U.S. application Ser. No.14/664,987; Filed Mar. 23, 2015; U.S. application Ser. No. 14/664,989;Filed: Mar. 23, 2015; and U.S. application Ser. No. 14/664,991; Filed:Mar. 23, 2015; the contents of each of which are herein incorporated byreference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to monitoring an individual for atraumatic brain injury, and more specifically, to methods, systems andcomputer program products for using a mouthguard to analyze biomarkersin saliva to monitor a person for a traumatic brain injury.

Generally speaking, safety is a primary concern for both users ofhelmets and manufacturers of helmets. Helmets are used by individualsthat participate in activities that have risk of head trauma, such asthe area of sports, biking, motorcycling, etc. While helmets havetraditionally been used to provide protection from blunt force trauma tothe head, an increased awareness of concussion causing forces hasmotivated a need for advances in helmet technology to provide increasedprotection against concussions. A concussion is a type of traumaticbrain injury that is caused by a blow to the head that shakes the braininside the skull due to linear or rotational accelerations. Recently,research has linked concussions to a range of health problems, fromdepression to Alzheimer's, along with a range of brain injuries. Unlikesevere traumatic brain injuries, which result in lesions or bleedinginside the brain and are detectable using standard medical imaging, aconcussion is often invisible in brain tissue, and therefore onlydetectable by means of a cognitive change, where that change ismeasurable by changes to brain tissue actions, either neurophysiologicalor through muscle actions caused by the brain and the muscles resultingeffects on the environment, for example, speech sounds.

Currently available helmets use accelerometers to measure the forcesthat the helmet, and therefore the head of the user, experiences. Theseaccelerometers can be used to indicate when a force experienced by ahelmet may be sufficiently large so as to pose a risk of a concussion tothe user. However, currently available helmets are prone to providingfalse positives which can lead to unnecessary downtime for the user ofthe helmet. In addition, a large number of false positives may lead toindividuals disregarding the indications generated and therefore afurther degradation of the effectiveness of the monitoring.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an embodiment, a method for monitoring an individualfor a traumatic brain injury includes obtaining a saliva specimen from amouthguard and providing the saliva specimen to a lab on chip. Themethod also includes determining whether the saliva specimen contains abiomarker that indicates the user suffered a traumatic brain injury andcreating an alert that the user of the helmet has suffered a traumaticbrain injury.

In accordance with another embodiment, a system for monitoring a userfor traumatic brain injury includes a lab on chip configured to receivea saliva specimen from a mouthguard and to determine whether the salivaspecimen contains a biomarker that indicates the user suffered atraumatic brain injury. The system also includes a processor configuredto communicate with the lab on chip, wherein the processor creates analert that the user of the helmet has suffered the traumatic braininjury in response to the lab on chip determining that the saliva samplecontains the biomarker.

In accordance with a further embodiment, a computer program product formonitoring an individual for a traumatic brain injury includes anon-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit andstoring instructions for execution by the processing circuit forperforming a method. The method includes obtaining a saliva specimenfrom a mouthguard and providing the saliva specimen to a lab on chip.The method also includes determining whether the saliva specimencontains a biomarker that indicates the user suffered a traumatic braininjury and creating an alert that the user of the helmet has suffered atraumatic brain injury.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularlypointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion ofthe specification. The forgoing and other features, and advantages ofthe invention are apparent from the following detailed description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one example of a processingsystem for practice of the teachings herein;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a helmet in accordance with anexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a mouthguard in accordance withan exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method for monitoring a user for atraumatic brain injury in accordance with an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of another method for monitoring a user for atraumatic brain injury in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a system for monitoring helmetsin accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, methods,systems and computer program products for monitoring an individual for atraumatic brain injury are provided. In exemplary embodiments,individuals involved in activities that may result in traumatic braininjury wear a helmet and a mouthguard that is in communication with thehelmet. The mouthguard is configured to collect saliva that is analyzedfor biomarkers in the saliva of the user. In exemplary embodiments, thesaliva is analyzed using lab on chip technology that can be disposed inthe mouthguard or in the helmet. Upon detection of a biomarker that mayindicate that the user has suffered a traumatic brain injury, an alertis created.

In exemplary embodiments, the helmet may include one or more such asaccelerometers, gyroscopes, or the like. In general, the outputs of thesensors are used by the processor of the helmet to monitor impactssuffered by the user. In exemplary embodiments, the severity of theimpact may include the amount of acceleration and or rotationexperienced by the helmet. The processor may use data from themouthguard and from the sensors to determine the likelihood that a userhas suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an embodiment of a processingsystem 100 for implementing the teachings herein. In this embodiment,the system 100 has one or more central processing units (processors) 101a, 101 b, 101 c, etc. (collectively or generically referred to asprocessor(s) 101). In one embodiment, each processor 101 may include areduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessor. Processors 101are coupled to system memory 114 and various other components via asystem bus 113. Read only memory (ROM) 102 is coupled to the system bus113 and may include a basic input/output system (BIOS), which controlscertain basic functions of system 100.

FIG. 1 further depicts an input/output (I/O) adapter 107 and a networkadapter 106 coupled to the system bus 113. I/O adapter 107 may be asmall computer system interface (SCSI) adapter that communicates with ahard disk 103 and/or tape storage drive 105 or any other similarcomponent. I/O adapter 107, hard disk 103, and tape storage device 105are collectively referred to herein as mass storage 104. Operatingsystem 120 for execution on the processing system 100 may be stored inmass storage 104. A network adapter 106 interconnects bus 113 with anoutside network 116 enabling data processing system 100 to communicatewith other such systems. A screen (e.g., a display monitor) 115 isconnected to system bus 113 by display adaptor 112, which may include agraphics adapter to improve the performance of graphics intensiveapplications and a video controller. In one embodiment, adapters 107,106, and 112 may be connected to one or more I/O busses that areconnected to system bus 113 via an intermediate bus bridge (not shown).Suitable I/O buses for connecting peripheral devices such as hard diskcontrollers, network adapters, and graphics adapters typically includecommon protocols, such as the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI).Additional input/output devices are shown as connected to system bus 113via user interface adapter 108 and display adapter 112. A keyboard 109,mouse 110, and speaker 111 all interconnected to bus 113 via userinterface adapter 108, which may include, for example, a Super I/O chipintegrating multiple device adapters into a single integrated circuit.

Thus, as configured in FIG. 1, the system 100 includes processingcapability in the form of processors 101, storage capability includingsystem memory 114 and mass storage 104, input means such as keyboard 109and mouse 110, and output capability including speaker 111 and display115. In one embodiment, a portion of system memory 114 and mass storage104 collectively store an operating system such as the AIX® operatingsystem from IBM Corporation to coordinate the functions of the variouscomponents shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, a block diagram illustrating a helmet 200 inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment is shown. The term “helmet” mayinclude, but is not intended to be limited to, a football helmet, amotorcycle helmet or the like. In exemplary embodiments, the helmet 200includes one or more of the following: an accelerometer 202, amouthguard 204, a memory 206, a gyroscope 208, a processor 210, atransceiver 212, and a power supply 214. In exemplary embodiments, thepower supply 214 may be a battery configured to provide power to one ormore of the accelerometer 202, the memory 206, the gyroscope 208, theprocessor 210, and the transceiver 212.

In one embodiment, the mouthguard 204 is attached to the helmet 200 viaa clip that provides communicative coupling between the mouthguard 204and the processor 210 or the transceiver 212. The mouthguard 204 isconfigured to analyze biomarkers in the saliva of the user to detect abiomarker in the saliva that may indicate that the user has suffered atraumatic brain injury. Upon detecting such a biomarker, the mouthguard204 transmits an alert to the processor 210 of the helmet 200. Inexemplary embodiments, the processor 210 of the helmet 200 is configuredto transmit an alert, via the transceiver 212, to a separate processingsystem in response to receiving the alert from the mouthguard 204.

In another embodiment, the mouthguard 204 is attached to the helmet 200via a tube that provides fluid coupling between the mouthguard 204 andthe lab on chip 216. The mouthguard 204 is configured to collect samplesof saliva and to direct the samples to the lab on chip 216 in the helmet200. In exemplary embodiments, the specimens of saliva are collected bymouthguard and are directed to the lab on chip 216 by active or passivesuction. The lab on chip 216 is configured to analyze biomarkers in thesaliva of the user to detect a biomarker in the saliva that may indicatethat the user has suffered a traumatic brain injury. Upon detecting sucha biomarker, the lab on chip 216 transmits an alert to the processor210. In exemplary embodiments, the processor 210 of the helmet 210 isconfigured to transmit an alert, via the transceiver 212, to a separateprocessing system in response to receiving the alert from the lab onchip 216. In exemplary embodiments, the lab on chip 216 may utilizemicrofluidics, onboard chemistry analysis, and nanoscale sequencingarray technology to analyze the saliva for biomarkers.

In one embodiment, the processor 210 is configured to receive an outputfrom one or more of the accelerometer 202 and the gyroscope 208 andstore data in memory 206 about impacts experienced by helmet 200. Inexemplary embodiments, the processor 210 is configured to monitor datareceived from the accelerometer 202 and the gyroscope 208 and totransmit an alert if the data received indicates that the helmet 200 hassuffered a severe impact. As used herein, the term severe impact is animpact sufficient to cause a traumatic brain injury. The processor 210may compare the data received from the accelerometer 202 and thegyroscope to one or more threshold values for determining if an impactexperienced by the helmet 200 is severe. In exemplary embodiments, theprocessor 210 may stores all of the data received from the accelerometer202 and the gyroscope 208 in the memory 206.

Referring to FIG. 3, a block diagram illustrating a mouthguard 300 inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment is shown. As illustrated themouthguard 300 includes a lab on chip 302, a processor 304 and atransmitter 306. The lab on chip 302 is configured to analyze biomarkersin the saliva of the user to detect a biomarker in the saliva that mayindicate that the user has suffered a traumatic brain injury. Inexemplary embodiments, the lab on chip 302 may utilize microfluidics,onboard chemistry analysis, and nanoscale sequencing array technology toanalyze the saliva for biomarkers. In exemplary embodiments, theprocessor 304 may monitor the output of the lab on chip 302 and maytransmit an alert via the transmitter 306 when the lab on chip 302detects a biomarker that indicates that the user has suffered atraumatic brain injury. In exemplary embodiments, the lab on chip 302, aprocessor 304 and a transmitter 306 may be disposed on a single chip ormay be disposed on discrete chips.

In one embodiment, the lab on chip, whether disposed in the helmet or inthe mouthguard, may be configured to continually test the saliva of theuser as the mouthguard is in use. In another embodiment, the lab onchip, whether disposed in the helmet or in the mouthguard, may beconfigured to selectively test the saliva of the user when directed todo so by the processor of the helmet. For example, the helmet mayutilize the sensors in the helmet to detect an impact to the user and ifthe impact exceeds a threshold level, the processor of the helmet mayinstruct the lab on chip to test the saliva for one or more biomarkers.In exemplary embodiments, the processor may intentionally interpose adelay between the detected impact that the execution of a test on thesaliva by the lab on chip. The delay may allow time for the chemistry ofthe saliva to change as a result of the impact. In exemplaryembodiments, the length of the delay may be determined based on theseverity of the impact experienced and/or based on the medical historyof the user.

In exemplary embodiments, the processor of the helmet may be configuredto receive a medical history of the user from a separate processingsystem, which can be utilized in determining if an impact experienced bythe helmet is a severe impact. For example, a user that has sufferedmultiple concussions may be more sensitive to impacts than users thathave not previously suffered a concussion. As a result, the processormay utilize different functions for determining if an impact experiencedby the helmet is a severe impact based on the medical history of theuser.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a flow diagram of a method 400 for monitoring auser for a traumatic brain injury in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment is shown. As shown at block 402, the method 400 includesmonitoring one or more sensors in a helmet. In exemplary embodiments,the one or more sensors include an accelerometer and a gyroscope. Next,as shown at block 404, the method 400 includes receiving an output ofthe one or more sensors corresponding to an impact experienced by thehelmet. As shown at decision block 406, the method 400 includesdetermining if the output of the plurality of sensors indicates a userof the helmet may have suffered a traumatic brain injury. In exemplaryembodiments, determining if the output of the plurality of sensorsindicates a user of the helmet may have suffered a traumatic braininjury may include comparing the output of the plurality of sensors toone or more stored profiles corresponding to normal measurements fromeach of the plurality of sensors or to one or more thresholds for eachof the plurality of sensors. If the output of the plurality of sensorsindicates that the user of the helmet may have suffered a traumaticbrain injury, the method 400 proceeds to block 408 and includesinstructing a lab on chip to test a saliva specimen of the user. Inexemplary embodiments, the lab on chip may be disposed in a mouthguardin communication with the helmet or with the helmet. If the output ofthe plurality of sensors indicates that the user of the helmet has notsuffered a traumatic brain injury, the method 400 returns to block 402and continues to monitor the output of the plurality of sensors.

Continuing with reference to FIG. 4, as shown at decision block 410, themethod 400 includes determining if the saliva specimen contains abiomarker that indicates the user suffered a traumatic brain injury. Ifthe saliva specimen does not contain a biomarker that indicates the usersuffered a traumatic brain injury, the method 400 returns to block 402and continues to monitor the output of the plurality of sensors.Otherwise, the method 400 proceeds to block 412 and includestransmitting an alert that the user of the helmet may have suffered atraumatic brain injury. In exemplary embodiments, the alert transmittedby the helmet that the user of the helmet may have suffered a traumaticbrain injury may include, but is not limited to, one or more of: anidentification of the user; the identification of the biomarker detectedin the saliva; a concentration of the biomarker detected in the saliva;data regarding any impacts experienced by the user in a predefined timeperiod prior to the transmission; and an indication of a confidencelevel associated with indication that the user may have suffered atraumatic brain injury.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a flow diagram of another method 500 formonitoring a user for a traumatic brain injury in accordance with anexemplary embodiment is shown. As shown at block 502, the method 500includes obtaining a saliva specimen from a mouthguard. Next, as shownat block 504, the method 500 includes providing the saliva specimen to alab on chip. In exemplary embodiments, the lab on chip may be disposedwithin the mouthguard or it may be disposed within a helmet in fluidcommunication with the mouthguard. As shown at decision block 506, themethod 500 includes determining whether the saliva specimen contains abiomarker that indicates the user suffered a traumatic brain injury. Ifthe saliva specimen contains a biomarker that indicates the usersuffered a traumatic brain injury, the method proceeds to block 508 andincludes creating an alert that the user of the helmet may have suffereda traumatic brain injury. Otherwise, the method 500 returns to block 502and obtains a new saliva specimen from the mouthguard. In exemplaryembodiments, the method 500 may be configured to execute periodically,i.e., a new saliva specimen may obtained and tested every five, ten,etc. minutes while the mouthguard is in use.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a block diagram illustrating a system 600 formonitoring users of helmets for traumatic brain injuries in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment is shown. As illustrated the system 600includes a helmet 602, such as the one shown and described above withreference to FIG. 2, a processing system 610, such as the one shown anddescribed above with reference to FIG. 1, and a mouthguard 604, such asthe one shown and described above with reference to FIG. 3. Theprocessing system 610 is configured to communicate with the helmet 604and is also configured to store the medical history 612 of the users ofthe helmets 602. In exemplary embodiments, the medical history 612 ofthe users of the helmets 602 may be used by the helmet 602 indetermining a threshold level for a severe impact. In addition, themedical history 602 may be used during the analysis of saliva by the labon chip, which may be disposed in the helmet 602 or the mouthguard 604.In exemplary embodiments, the processing system 610 may include avirtual world display 614 that is configured to provide a display areal-time status of each of the users of the helmets. In exemplaryembodiments, the status may include indications that the user may havesuffered a traumatic brain injury, duration of play of the user, aduration that the user has been in the current category of play, or thelike.

In exemplary embodiments, the user's history of collision or medicalconcerns may be used to determine a traumatic brain injury riskassessment, either by the embedded processor or the separate processingsystem. In addition, the helmet may be configured to provide a real-timefeed of the user's cognitive state to increase the confidence level ofthe need for a particular alert or indication. In exemplary embodiments,an aggregate indication may be used to summarize an overall state of agroup of players. This may also help to potentially identify area ofrisk in the dynamics of player-player interaction, overly aggressiveplayers, playing field conditions, etc. In exemplary embodiments, anautomatic feed from a user's history of collision or medical concernsmay also be provided to a processor of the helmet in order to update animpact risk model for each category of play. In addition, the processingsystem 610 may receive a real-time feed of the user's cognitive state,which can be used to update the risk models used by the helmets. Therisk models may also be sent to the virtual world display 614 of thegame and players, which allows the sports staff health professionals tovisualize the nature of potential problems.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer program product for monitoring a userfor traumatic brain injuries, the computer program product comprising: anon-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit andstoring instructions for execution by the processing circuit forperforming a method comprising: determining that the user has suffered asevere impact; instructing a sensor to obtain a saliva specimen from amouthguard and to provide the saliva specimen to a lab on chip, whereinobtaining the saliva specimen from the mouthguard is performed after adelay period from the severe impact, wherein the delay is determinedbased on a severity of the severe impact experienced by the user;analyzing the saliva specimen for one or more biomarkers; and creatingan alert that the user of the mouthguard may have suffered a traumaticbrain injury, wherein the alert includes an indication of the one ormore biomarkers, a concentration of the one or more biomarkers and anidentification of the user.
 2. The computer program product of claim 1,wherein the lab on chip is disposed within the mouthguard.
 3. Thecomputer program product of claim 1, wherein the lab on chip is disposedwithin a helmet that is in fluid communication with the mouthguard. 4.The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the determination thatthe user has suffered a severe impact is based on a determination that ahelmet worn by the user has experienced an acceleration above athreshold amount.
 5. The computer program product of claim 4, whereinthe threshold amount is based upon a medical history of the user.
 6. Thecomputer program product of claim 1, wherein the delay is furtherdetermined based on a medical history of the user.
 7. A system formonitoring a user for traumatic brain injuries comprising: a lab on chipconfigured to receive a saliva specimen from a mouthguard and to analyzethe saliva specimen to identify one or more biomarkers; a processorconfigured to communicate with the lab on chip, wherein the processorcreates an alert that the user of the mouthguard may have suffered atraumatic brain injury, wherein the processor instructs the lab on chipto obtain the saliva specimen from the mouthguard in response to adetermination that the user has experienced an acceleration above athreshold amount, wherein the saliva specimen is obtained after a delayperiod from the acceleration above the threshold amount, wherein thedelay is determined based on a severity of the acceleration above thethreshold amount experienced by the user, and wherein the alert includesan indication of the one or more biomarkers, a concentration of the oneor more biomarkers and an identification of the user.
 8. The system ofclaim 7, wherein the lab on chip is disposed within the mouthguard. 9.The system of claim 7, wherein the lab on chip is disposed within ahelmet that is in fluid communication with the mouthguard.
 10. Thesystem of claim 9, wherein the processor is disposed within the helmetand wherein the helmet includes an accelerometer.
 11. The system ofclaim 7, wherein the threshold amount is based upon a medical history ofthe user.
 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the delay is furtherdetermined based on a medical history of the user.